1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lift truck, and more particularly to a lift truck for transporting stacks of chairs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has become common practice to use in convention centers, meeting halls, community centers, etc. a type of light chair, the legs and frame of which are made from light tubular stock. Other such chairs which are available are formed from a molded plastic, but generally the chairs are free from any transverse reinforcing members between the legs at a position distanced below the seat portion in order that the chairs may be stacked one upon the other so as to provide relatively high stacks of a plurality of chairs for transport and storage. In practice, the stacks are usually hauled from a truck or from a storage area, or possibly from one side of a room to the general area in which they will be used, and then distributed and placed in the required positions. After use, the chairs are restacked and then returned to storage areas.
For many years there have existed lift trucks of the type utilized in factories and warehouses for shifting heavy loads, which are commonly mounted on palates or lifts in order that the lift truck can be pushed under the load prior to lifting. Lift trucks have been provided with various means for raising the load free of the floor while it is pushed or pulled from one location to another. Such lift trucks are shown in Canadian Patent No. 362,423 to Quayle, Dec. 8, 1936, Canadian Patent No. 296,996 to Holman, Jan. 28, 1930 and Canadian Patent No. 149,716 to Chapman et al., May 28, 1913. Also, lift truck devices have been designed particularly for moving furniture, and such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,904, Oct. 23, 1962 to Kimball. Such structures are not satisfactory, however, for transporting at one time one or more stacks of chairs of the type described above. Various simple devices, such as low, flat dollies have been designed on which the chairs are placed. Frequently with such devices, the stacks of chairs are laid on their sides as tall stacks of chairs have a high center of gravity and are unstable. The lifting of a stack of chairs and particularly the maneuvering of a stack of chairs to lay it on the side is difficult.